Furosemide has been identified as the drug that was found in Jamaican athlete Steve Mullings’ urine sample taken at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Trials in late June.

An article carried in the British newspaper The Telegraph yesterday, identified the substance as Furosemide and described it as “a masking agent abused by some athletes to cover up steroid and stimulant use”.

Neither the athlete, his agent John Regis nor the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), who confirmed the finding on Thursday, has commented on the substance, however.

According to Medicinenet.com, Furosemide, which is dispensed under the brand name ‘Lasix’ is “a potent diuretic (water pill) that is used to eliminate water and salt from the body. In the kidneys, salt (composed of sodium and chloride), water, and other small molecules normally are filtered out of the blood and into the tubules of the kidney. The filtered fluid ultimately becomes urine”.

According to the website, the drug that was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in 1982 and is mostly used “to treat excessive accumulation of fluid and/or swelling (oedema) of the body caused by heart failure, cirrhosis, chronic kidney failure, and the nephrotic syndrome. It is sometimes used alone or in conjunction with other blood pressure pills to treat high blood pressure”.

Mullings suffers from chronic asthma and according to the livestrong.com website, Furosemide under the Lasix brand has been known to be prescribed by some doctors to treat the condition.

“Doctors are allowed to prescribe legal medications for health conditions even if the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for that particular condition. Oral furosemide is used off-label to treat and prevent asthma symptoms by inducing airway smooth muscle relaxation, preventing inflammation and increasing airway and lung hormone levels, explains the 2006 book The Guide to Off-Label Prescription Drugs by Kevin Loughlin and Joyce Generali. Furosemide is useful for chronic asthma as well as asthma triggered by exercise, cold air and chemical sensitivities.”